Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his proposal to close independent local Healthwatch services and transfer their functions to (a) local authorities and (b) Integrated Care Boards, what proportion of existing funding of £178,600 received by Brighton and Hove council in 2024-25 to commission a local Healthwatch service will be transferred to (i) the Sussex Integrated Care Board and (ii) Brighton and Hove Council to fund the new separate arrangements to collect (A) patient and (B) public views on (1) NHS and (2) publicly funded adult social care services.

The abolition of Healthwatch England and the transfer of its functions, as well as the changes to Local Healthwatch, will require primary legislation. The timing of this is subject to the will of Parliament and will happen when Parliamentary time allows.

A full Impact Assessment, including an Equality Impact Assessment, would be produced and published on the Government website when the legislation is introduced in Parliament. No assessment has been made at this time.

Any changes to the funding regarding the transfer of Local Healthwatch functions to integrated care boards and local authorities will take place after legislation.